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Compare to Share

My twelve year old daughter and I had a meaningful discussion about stuff. She relayed some of what she sees other people in her life getting and how it makes her feel. She was transparent and showed great maturity in her assessment of the situation. I could relate to some of the feelings she mentioned – especially the lack of contentment that comes from comparing to people who have more.

We made an elementary discovery together.

If we must compare, we should not compare to those with more – only those with less.

We figured that there is someone who always has more and when we compare to people with more we are left feeling discontentment and focused on ourselves.

But, if we must compare, then we should only compare to those with less.

This way to compare should compel us to share.

I’ve mentioned before about folks I met in Ethiopia who lived on less than a dollar a day. When I get uptight about what I don’t have or can not obtain… I just put myself back in that dirt floored hut and thank God for what I have been entrusted. But then I also am moved to share and not to hoard, because everything is God’s anyways.

So, in this season we are trying to compare only if it compels us to share.